The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1887-07-09
OLD VIRGINIA.
OuD t1hO1Nlds
An Interesting Letter From DR.
Quarles.
Soil and vegetables. The Wildne.s
of the Country. A Little CO.
quette. Superior Enterprise
of Lafayette County. Vir.
Einia r 0litics. The
Press.

"oPiO ouu ash ouu GILL, Win tne STeel
sward of the campus stretching in its
velvet softness before me and the
fragrance of the hoheysuckle filling the
air with sweetness, teel as if it is al
near realization of an earthly para.
disc as it is gwen to fallen man tc
enjoy.
The season is later here than it is in
Missouri around Lexington. The
farmers have not laid aside their corn,
nor are they yet in the midst of cutting
their wheat. These crops and all
others, however, are good, and promise
a full average yield. The wheat is
equal in quantity and superior in quail
ity to the usual crop. have not ceas-
ed to wonder at this soil. 1t is 60
tough and hard and heavy that it is
double the labor to work it, and a Mis-
sourian feels that he will get nothing
for his pains. But it is not so. | have
never seen finer vegetables than those
which have raised this season-aspar-
agus, lettuce, radishes, spinach,
onions, cabbage, potatoes, beans and
peas. My tomatoes are now full size
and have been for a couple of weeks
Satisfy seems as if it were fully grown.
Butter beans and corn look vigorous.
| have not seen larger straw berries
than we bought this spring from the
market hucksters, but the season did
not last longer than two weeks. My
own bed is f1ourishing and promises a
harvest the coming year. The rasp-
berries, sent from my garden in Mis-
souri,, nearly all perished, the drouth
of last fall having killed them and the
stra berries also. Not one of the
Blackcaps, Gregg or Mammoth Clus-
ter, survived. Three or four of the
Cuthbert reds are living. shall get
me supply of the best varieties; for
am sure that they will do we'll here.
Fruit has become one of the indispen-
sables, and it is as easy to raise the best
as the Indifferent.
l have found but one thing which
is materially higher here than it is in
Missouri. 1t was almost impossible
for me to secure pasturage for my COW,
and when did as favor, found the
charge two dollars and halt month
She costs me more in summer than she
did in winter, for must pay dollar
month to the boy who drives her back
and forth. Naturally you would sup
pose that there are no outlying lands |
in as old country as this; but this is |
not true. There is more unfenced land |
N this county than in Lafayette More
over you will see nature here in more
primitive condition than in our part of |
Missouri. L have been within two |
niles of this place where it looked to
ne as wild, as sweet, as natural as
hough no human eye had ever beheld
he scene before. The woods and the
are full Of flowers of varied |
md exquisite forms and tints. Our
,rairies thirty years ago furnished
Ome comparisons; but these flowers
ire more delicate and some of them
ire fragrant. have seen the black
loneysuckle growing wild; indeed, 1
IAN see it in five minutes walk any
Ime. 1t may have been planted there;
t doubtless was, if it did not grow
rom a sprig carelessly thrown away.
[he mountain ivy and laurel and
indian pink and delicate ferns are, |
would think, unsurpassed anywhere in
his latitude. l must be cautious how
write, for Mrs. Field and Will have
'een here and will tell on Inc if | un-
lertake to romance.
L Cannot tell how we enjoyed their
resence with US. Little Carrie be-
ane the toast OF the neighborhood.
Ter unusual beauty attracted the at
ention of every observer, and her cum
ing ways won the admiring love of {
hose who learned to know her, She
vas perpetual feast to US, and anus
us greatly by her emphatic declara- [
on to me, tinker Dimmie, YOU talk
ntirely too much" She was much
ttached TO Jimmie Chambers and |
vould kiss him. Her mother said TO t
er, ''What will Bampa (Grandpa) say {
bout your kissing boys?" She, at
nee, putting her index finger into her 5
and to strengthen the assertion,
aint going to kiss Dimmie
hamiss any more" Then she would |
imp down and run into his arms and t
ISIS him again. She is a regular I
'quette. b
One fact will show you how much l.
ore enterprise and business there is a
ith you than with us. This comfy a
I'd Lafayette have about the same "
)pulation. You have twelve banks q
18th an aggregate capital of about
nr hundred thousand dollars, and n
'posits approaching million of dol
rs. Beside you have several agen-
es for the loan of eastern money.
here is but one bank ia this county, Ia
hich has capital of seventy one $,
ousand, and less than two hundred d.
ousand dollars of deposits. There I,
e but two banks in Augusta, our adj n,
ming county an the north, which e:
wealthy and has twice the popula- tc
IN of Lafayette. No other county G.
Joining ours has any bank at all. di
A word about Virginia politics. So IL
as | can understand the situation, it,
ngs are very much mixed here. III
lere are three disturbing influences. te
e first is the state debt This is W
tor state with the limited is
sources and prospective growth of rs
rglnla. 1t amounts to about $50 ,O0O,- in
}. The federal courts have decided in
the important issues against the no
tie and have virtually nulIitied nj
ainst her the eleventh amendment TO
federal constitution. State officers
threatened with Imprisonment for
charging their duties under the
te laws, as they were actually i'm ne